When one peruses the credits of a straight-to-video title and sees the above-billed star also featured as a producer, there’s understandably cause for, A) concern, B ) snickering, C) both A and B, or D) questions about whether Lebanese-born producer Elie Samaha is involved in what is invariably described as a long-gestating “passion project” for said actor. Thankfully there’s no need for D) with regards to Jenna Elfman’s Touched (though the former Dharma & Greg star is a Scientologist and Samaha did have a hand in shepherding the god-awful Battlefield Earth to the big screen). In the end, though, that doesn’t necessarily make this straightforward and earnestly pitched tale of yearning and you-can-do-it inspiration any more entertaining than your average Lifetime tele-pic.

Written and directed by Timothy Scott Bogart (the short-lived small screen serial Mowgli: The New Adventures of the Jungle Book), Touched (rated R, kids… but only for language) centers around loving young father Scott (Randall Batinkoff), who awakens from two years in a coma following a terrible auto accident to find his life completely changed. As he struggles to cope with the loss of his son and the gaps in his memory, he comes to realize that he is quite literally losing his bearings and sense of touch.

On cue, enter Angela (Elfman), the nurse who tended to Scott during his two lost years — the nurse with a kindred spirit and wounded past of her own. Scott finds comfort and rootedness in Angela; she helps him confront the realities of his new life and point him toward new possibilities, showing him that there is a journey of hope and love in the future. Does standard-issue dialogue about bereavement and reclaimed hopefulness ensue? Check. Coy flirting around trees strung with white Christmas lights? Check. Bruce Davison in a supporting role? Check. Kisses in the rain? Well… you’ll have to watch the movie.

Look, Touched isn’t awful, but neither is it the most commendable use of Elfman’s sunny-leaning talents. Granted, she’s not the aggrieved lead herein, but even her casting opposite such seems to wear off some of her luster. Surely there must be a television pilot or indie big screen comedy out there in need of an irrepressible female lead. Right?

Packaged in a regular Amray case, Touched is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a Dolby digital 5.1 audio track and optional Spanish subtitles. There are, unfortunately for Elfman fans, no supplemental extras to complement this DVD presentation, which does seem strange given her producorial championing of the project. C- (Movie) D (Disc)